Pleasantly Strange
by Dana-Jellybean
Summary: Katlyn finds herself torn between life and death, floating in the limbo between being awake and being asleep, after being struck by a curse in the midst of the Battle of Hogwarts during her final year at the prestigious school. As her mind finds itself trapped in the grey, she begins to reminisce about all the moments- from her first year to final seconds- that led her here.
1. I open at the close

There was a flash of purple and I found myself falling, crumbling to the floor like a ragdoll. All the air and light had been sucked from my body and I was suspended in the grey- between being asleep and being awake. The sounds of the battle, raging around me, slowly became more distant and muffled as I lost touch; everything was slowly slipping through my fingertips like water. I hit the floor with a thud but I didn't feel any of it. I was numb, from head to toe; reality was slowly becoming a distant memory. As my mind slipped into a swirling mass of never-ending grey, I remembered it all- all that had lead me to this point.

###

It all began with the rain. Rain- a seemingly normal occurrence in England where it was said to rain everyday- which it doesn't- but not a normal occurrence when you are indoors. I had been sat at my table in class, swinging my legs absently beneath the desk as I listened to the teacher talk to us about World War Two and how the children were sent to the country side- like our own little village- to be safe. We were all paying a lot of attention- at that age, you have the urge to learn new things and it was during this long talk when things were turned on their heads.

It was only when Isabel screamed at the top her lungs and another boy on my table shouted "SPIDER!" did I even know there was an eight legged creature crawling its way across my exercise book. I took one look at the spider and joined in the chorus of girlish screams as the teacher turned to us all, bewildered. She asked for everyone to calm down, that it was alright and that it was just a spider, and was met by a diminishing amount of screeching girls. That's when it started to rain.

Not outside- outside was sunny- but inside the class room. There were no clouds but a great downpour began at the roof and proceeded to rain upon the entirety of my class who began to scream again- girls, boys and our teacher- as the mysterious bout of rain drenched them. It did not take long for everyone to lead from their seats and run from the classroom, screaming at the top of their lungs in a mix of fear, confusion and excitement for some. I followed, a bit bewildered at how it could be raining inside- it just wasn't scientifically possible.

"There's been a burst pipe!" Exclaimed my teacher, Miss Bows, to another one of the teachers on our floor- who had come out to see why so many children were screaming.

I paused mid crowd of running classmates to look back at the doorway to the classroom I had just hurried from. The desks had a thin layer of water on them, the walls dripped with the stuff but it was no longer falling from the ceiling. I frowned hard- how could a 'burst pipe' stop so suddenly? Surely they'd not fixed it somehow or turned the pipe off or something, it had barely been 4 seconds. I thought nothing of it, shrugging it off as Miss Bows ushered me down the stairs after the rest of the children to the gym where we would have to wait for a bit while the teachers sorted the problem out.

Needless to say, school closed early that day and I found myself in the back of my Dads car and telling him all about the exiting day I had had. I grinned, hair still slightly damp "It started to rain inside Dad!"

"It can't rain inside Katlyn" My Dad chuckled, turning the car into the drive

"But it did! And it stopped really quickly!" I said annoyed "Like those Monkeys weddings in summer"

"It was a burst pipe darling," my Dad said, turning to me with a comforting smile. He knew how big my imagination was "Nothing more"

I frowned, annoyed that he did not believe me. I knew what I saw, it had begun to rain inside the classroom and it had stopped when everyone had left. The teachers weren't even sure how the pipe burst, or where the damage in the ceiling was- I had heard them whispering about it. I had no explanation other than the rain and nor did the teachers- the could not use the excuse of burst pipe. It was only a thought of theirs, a rational thought of how water could've started pouring from the ceiling. As I climbed out the car and made my way to the house, I wondered if that spider was okay.

I couldn't stop thinking about the rain, I was still thinking about it at dinner. I pushed and prodded at the peas and rice on my plate; I was not very hungry for food at all. Meanwhile, my sister Natalie told my mum and Dad about how they had Non-School uniform day coming up. My parents hadn't yet noticed I had left my pork chop half eaten and my peas and rice untouched until Faith- my other sister- glanced at my full plate.

"Mum, Dad" Faith shouted over Natalie's tiny voice "Katlyn hasn't finished yet"

Mum turned to me frowning slightly "Eat up Katlyn"

"I'm not hungry…" I said, prodding at my pork chop

"Eat your dinner-" my Dad said as he stood to clear up his empty plate. He went to continue but there was a knock on the door which cast a shadow of silence and confusion over the dining table. I peered round my Nanny at the front door. My Dad frowned and spoke again "I'll get it"

I watched as he disappeared into the hallway before I looked at my plate, picking my knife up to cut into the pork chop so that my parents would stop pestering me to finish it. However, I was distracted by a lively discussion occurring at the front door. My Dad sounded very confused and almost angry, while the other voice remained calm but sounded slightly strained regardless. Everyone at the table seemed to also forget their dinner and turn their attention to the conversation outside. Standing, my mum went to join my Dad at the door. Me and my sisters saw this as a cue to go see what was going on, we jumped to our feet, excusing ourselves from the table, and rushed to the door.

While we were not quite tall enough to see over my parents to the other person who stood in the door frame, I was just about tall enough to see the top of the woman's head and she was wearing a black witch's hat. I found this odd since it was not normal for someone to wear a witch hat at any other time than Halloween and it was the start of July. I frowned a little- thinking that today's events were all seeming a little odd. First the rain and now a strange woman at our house with a witches hat? Very odd. I thought to myself as my parents conversation came to an end and they stepped aside to let the strange woman in.

She was a fairly old woman, but not as old as my Nanny, dressed in long green robes. She had crow lines on the corner of her eyes and some wrinkles on her forehead but other than that, she had flawless young skin; her eyes glistened a bright green in the light of the hallway behind her round glasses. Her hair was tied back into a bun, not a single brown strand out of place. Despite her bright eyes, they looked scrutinizing down at me and my sisters as if she were trying to figure out our names without even asking us. When her eyes fell on me, she smiled lightly and turned her head to the side gently.

"Are you Katlyn?" she asked softly- her accent Scottish and brash.

I nodded looking up at her bewildered to how she knew my name and what she was here for.

"This is for you…" she said, a hint of excitement on her voice, handing me an aged enveloped with a red sticker like thing keeping it closed.

I looked up at her and my shocked parents, then I turned my attention to the letter I held in my hands. The red sticker felt rubbery, waxy and had an odd crest on it with a large H in the centre of it. Turning it over in my hands, I saw that it had been addressed to me in green ink, the same green as the odd lady's eyes. A bolt of excitement shot through me as I stared at the odd letter in my hands- a tingling sensation beginning in my stomach as I carefully opened the letter. I let the envelope fall to my feet as I held two sheets of old paper in my hands. The first page almost took my breath away as I read it out loud-

_**HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY**_

_Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore_

_(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,_

_Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)_

_Dear Ms. Woodford,_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment._

_Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July._

_I looked at the letter again and then the woman and my parents- I was in a state of shock and confusion. "Witchcraft? Wizardry?" I asked, looking back at the letter I held in my hands. What did it all mean? I thought to myself as the lady in the witch's hat smiled warmly at me._

"Let's sit down and I will explain everything…"

Five minutes later, my sisters had been put to bed and I found myself sat in the living room next to my Dad waiting for Mum to bring Minerva- or Professor McGonagall as I was to call her- a cup of tea. Minerva had taken off her hat and had taken quite an interest in our cat- Fizz- who'd sauntered into the living room upon the strange woman's arrival. A few second later my mum hurried in with a fresh cup of tea for the lady, who nodded a thanks before taking a quick sip. Placing it down on the coffee table beside her, she turned to me and my parents who now sat either side of me.

"As you may know….Katlyn's school experienced some disturbance today due to a burst water pipe, well I can tell you for starters that it was no burst pipe or the like. In fact, it was rain." The woman said, almost laughing at the schools confusion between rain and a burst pipe

"I told you!" I shouted excitedly, quickly quieting down when I realized that I had interrupted Minerva but she didn't seem to mind.

"Rain?" my Dad frowned "It can't be"

"Not possible" my mother added

"Well…it was." Minerva said "and Katlyn was the cause of it- I know, that sounds bizarre but you must know, this is not some freak incident that will only happen once. You see, your daughter is a witch…"

My parents stared at her in shock- quite not sure whether to start an argument with the woman or not. My Dad turned pale as a sheet, trying to gasp what she was saying, whereas my mum bit at her fingernails and looked nervously at the floor as if she would find the answer there. I frowned slightly at Minerva who took the opportunity of my parents shock to take a sip of tea. I was about to ask her a question when my Nanny wandered into the room and gasped in surprise.

"Hello there Minerva!"

My mum, Dad and I all turned to my Nanny at once, ignoring the fact that I had just been told I was a witch with magical powers.

"Ah!" Minerva smiled wildly, placing her cup of tea down, rising to give my Nanny a hug "Gail, it is good to see you!"

"You know each other?" My mother asked, confused and shocked at the same time

My nanny turned to my mum and laughed "Well, yes, we went to school together- I haven't seen her in years because I married your muggle of a father"

"You went to Hogwarts?" I asked excitedly, wanting to know about the school I had been invited to attend but my Mum overpowered my voice with an angry rant- about how could my Nanny keep this secret from her- as she stormed from the room in tears, overwhelmed by all this news. With my Nanny gone, Minerva sat down and explained that we couldn't tell anyone about me being a witch or I'd be expelled and I would have to remain a muggle (which we learnt was the word for a non-magical person) for the rest of my life. My father and I agreed to this vow of silence- my Dad told Minerva he would tell mum about it and that they would have my Nanny take me to get my school things.

Once she had finished her conversation about the basics of the wizarding world, she took one last sip of her tea and stroked fizz again before standing and placing her hat on her head once more "I must be off now, it is late"

My Dad nodded "Ill showing you to the door… Katlyn, go upstairs and get ready for bed"

I nodded and hurried to my room but rather than getting ready for bed- I was far too excited to sleep yet- I climbed onto the windowsill of my bedroom and peered out the window to watch Minerva McGonagall leaving. Perhaps she would fly off, or vanish into thin air but she seemed to do neither. Instead, I saw no one leave the drive. I heard the door close but saw no one walk down the driveway to the street. Instead, I only saw a mysterious tabby cat, walk gracefully along the fence around our house. I could have sworn the cat was wearing glasses but it must have been a trick of the light.


	2. Between Two Worlds

I sat beside my Nanny on the tube as we made our way to get my things I would need for my new start at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It had been a few weeks since the mysterious Minerva McGonagall had arrived on our door step following a freak bout of rain inside my classroom- which I had apparently caused- and the school holidays had begun; I had told my friends that I was attending an all-girls school up in Hitchin after the summer and that I probably wouldn't see them much anymore. They found that hard to get used to as did my mother- she was not at all happy with the changes my magical powers had bought and had kicked up a fuss when my Nanny had suggested that she take me to Diagon Alley using something called 'Floo Powder'.

Hence why we now filed of the tube at Leister Square with all the business woman and men in their smart tight suits and large brick phones and briefcases. They all hurried past us, their face set on their route out of the tube station and out onto Charring Cross Road, while me and my Nanny wandered slowly out onto the road on which we would access Diagon Alley. As we meandered our way past restaurants and bookshops and more bookshops, I wondered where on a street in the centre of London we would find a street full of Wizarding and Witchy stuff.

"Nanny?" I said as we walked half way down Charring Cross Road towards Tottenham Court Road

"Yes sweets…" she smiled down at me, her hand neatly wrapped around mine

"Where are we going?" I asked as I gazed at all the bookshops. As we paused at a crossing, I noticed something odd. Something that no one other than my Nanny or I seemed to be looking at. An old, darkened pub, nestled between a record shop which was selling records from the 60's and a second hand bookshop with 100's of books laid out in its window, with leaky looking dusty windows. The odd thing was, though I saw about 8 people enter the bookshop and another 10 enter the record shop the other side, I saw no one enter the mysterious looking pub that sat- almost forgotten- between them.

My nanny noticed me frowning at the situation and smiled cheekily "I see you've guessed already..." she said as we made our way across the street to the door of the old pub.

I didn't ask any more questions as we pushed the door open and entered the pub. The atmosphere was, like any pub really. Dark, dank and smoky with that lovely warmth only home would give you. There was the smell of beer on the air and laughter from friends gathered round tables; an old man smoked his pipe in the corner and read an old leather book. It, would appear, to be like any other pub but there was something truly wonderful, yet bizarre, about the establishment I found myself in. The group of friends laughing round the table with their metal beer steins, they all wore a variety of weird and wonderful witches and wizard hats and wore beautiful velvet robes in a variety of dark, yet rich colours. The old man in the corner, he was also very odd because he read a book titled "Break with a Banshee" and the smoke that he puffed from the corner of his mouth was a bright purple colour.

I blinked at all the sights of the pub as my Nanny ushered me through the wizards and witches to the bar where a bald, walnut looking, man with a toothy grin stood wiping down the bar. He looked at us with nothing more than a glance as he reached for two metallic mugs expecting us to ask for a drink. I could tell he was thinking we looked rather out of place- what dressed in our 'muggle clothes'- but he didn't seem too bothered by it "Can I help you ladies?"

His voice was wheezy, like the sound a balloon makes as all the air is let out of it slowly, and old.

"Just passing through Tom" My Nanny smiled warmly at him "But we'll be back for some lunch"

The old man, Tom, blinked at my Nanny for a moment before grinning widely, revealing the mass of toothless gaps he had in his mouth "Gail!" he exclaimed "It's good to see you"

"And good to see you too" she smiled, speaking as if she were just greeting another relative

"Still married to that muggle of yours?" he asked, raising a very hairless eyebrow

My Nanny laughed and told him that she'd divorced the thing years ago, and had then moved back to the UK from South Africa. She said she would give him the full details later, but for now, we best be heading onto Diagon Alley as we had a long day ahead of us. Tom nodded us fairwell and jokingly asked if my Nanny knew the code. I didn't know what he meant by that, but my Nanny seemed pretty confident that she knew it. As we walked to the back of the pub, to a little lopsided door in the far corner, I began to wonder how we got to Diagon Alley from here- perhaps there was a ghost or a monster we had to answer a riddle to.

But there was no mysterious hooded wizard to let us into Diagon alley, there was only a lonely trash can in a small brick walled courtyard. There was nothing unordinary about it. Some moss grew on the brick walls and a leaky pipe dripped onto the paved courtyard floor but unlike the pub inside where wizards and witches were enjoying an afternoon there was nothing magical about the courtyard. I gave my Nanny an odd look, I began to wonder where on earth she was trying to take me when she stepped forward and poured what looked like a stick out of her handbag. I frowned.

"I don't understand" I said as my Nanny excitedly stepped forward

"you will see, don't worry" she said as she began to tap the bricks on the wall. To my amazement the bricks began to vibrate and shake quite violently. I stared in utter amazement as the wall in front of me began to fall away, the bricks moving in and out of each other in unison. Behind the wall with a street that stretched as far as I could see. At the end of it stood a glorious white building with columns and a copper domed roof, and the street was lined with shops that seem to tilt at such an angle I wondered how they remained standing; some of the upper floors were almost vertical to the street below. The street itself was filled with winners and witches wearing all manners of odd hats and robes. I got asked in amazement.

My nanny took my hand and led me into the bustling street which was Diagon Alley. Lively chatter of wonderful and peculiar things, all that must've sounded pretty normal to any other witch or wizard, filled the street as wizarding families hurried past us. We didn't pause as we passed the many wonderful shops, filled with potions, cauldrons and books that I had never heard of, as we headed to the marble building that sat at the end of the peculiar Alley. My Nanny grinned widely, she seemed more happy than I had ever seen her in my 11 years; perhaps, for all this time, she felt like she could not be herself while at home with my mother and father. I wonder how long she kept her powers secret.

We climbed the curved marble steps into the large white building, which had a sign in Latin on the front which I could not read. As we pushed open the large bronze doors with their ornate handles, I suddenly realised that there was more to the wizarding world than humans like me. Either side of the door stood two odd creatures with long pointed ears and crooked noses, dressed in crimson uniforms. Upon entering the building, we were greeted by another set of doors- this time they were silver- with a piece of prose engraved on the metallic doors-

_Enter, stranger, but take heed_

_Of what awaits the sin of greed_

_For those who take, but do not earn,_

_Must pay most dearly in their turn._

_So if you seek beneath our floors_

_A treasure that was never yours,_

_Thief, you have been warned, beware_

_Of finding more than treasure there._

I mumbled the words to myself quietly before I heard my Nanny calling to me to keep up. Inside the large building there were hundreds of tiny little people like those who stood guard outside, and they were all busy at work stamping paperwork, counting money and talking among themselves about a currency that was foreign to my ears. We approached the main desk, where an old wrinkly creature sat reading through a scroll of parchment. I blinked in awe, through my fringe, up at the old creature.

The thing looked up from its work at my nanny and I with an almost disgusted stare "can I... help you?"

My Nanny placed her handbag on the desk at which the creature was sat at and gave him a somewhat, frustrated look. It was clear that my Nanny did not enjoy the company of these creatures- I could see that her lip was curling into almost a sneer- and that she wished to get this errand over and done with. She cleared her throat before she replied "Yes, I am here with my granddaughter and I wish to gain access to my account."

"Name?" the creature said, its voice curling

"Gail Langley"

"Do you have your key?"

My Nanny nodded. The creature sighed heavily, rolling its eyes, hopping down off chair the little man made its way round the desk and towards one of the many doorways that line the walls of the room, he gestured for us to follow him. My Nanny pursed her lips and told me to follow her as she began to walk after the little creature. Still in awe about what I was seeing, it took me a moment to catch what she was saying and so I found myself jogging after the little creature and my Nanny into a dark and dank corridor which seemed to spiral down and down into the depths of the earth.

The hallway was dimly lit by torches but even then I could barely see my Nanny, who was stood right beside me as we followed the little creature down the corridor. Eventually we reached a large cavern and I could see that the hallway we had just walked down was carved out of stone much like a cave. I looked up at the ceiling as dust fell from the ceiling as what sounded like an underground train rolled towards us. From round the corner came a little cart, travelling along a set of tracks that seemed to dip down into darkness after the light of the Cavern. The little creature climbed in front, while my Nanny and I squeezed into the back seat.

"You better hold on tight" my Nanny said, a slight hint of fear on her voice

Before I could even ask her what she meant by that, the little cart we were sat and sped off into the darkness and drop-down and un-seen dip in the tracks. We sped along at a great speed, the wind was almost as deafening as the sound of the metal wheels against the metal tracks. We turned sharp corners, descended into darkness on dark drops and even passed another cart as we sped along past hallways and hallways of doors. I wondered what this was and what all these doors were for, but I couldn't ask because I could barely find time to breathe as we rushed through the darkness.

Finally, the court came to a halt. My hair is an absolute mess as was my nanny's- who didn't have that much hair anyway- and I could feel my stomach churning away; I was glad we hadn't had lunch yet. The little creature clambered out of the cart and walked to one of the many doors that lined the tracks. My Nanny followed, as did I, and we stood back and watched as the little creature took my Nanny's key from her and put it into the lock.

"Some of the doors," my nanny explained "are charmed so that only certain movements of a sharp object- generally a goblin's nail -will open it."

"And if the person doesn't get the movement right" the goblin grinned evilly "then the door will not open, but it will absorb the person into the cell and they will be stuck for a long time."

The goblin laughed as my jaw dropped, my nanny did not seem too impressed and told the goblin to hurry up. The goblin grumbled and finally open the door revealing a large pile of golden, silver, and bronze coins which were stacked neatly in the centre of the small little room. I stared in awe at all of it, and wondered how much it was all worth. Judging by the amount, my Nanny was fairly well off. My nanny took a step forward, gathered a handful of the golden coins in her hands, putting it into her purse, before she took a step back and smiled at me.

"Now that we have you some money, we can go and get your school supplies now Katlyn"


	3. Dragon Heartstring

We headed back out onto Diagon Alley- my Nanny's handbag, jingling with the coins she had withdrawn- and began to idly wander back down the cobbled street. Excitement filled me, from my fingers to my toes, but a sense of dread accompanied it. A few weeks ago, this magical world had been nothing but a thought- something that I had not really come to terms with- until now. It was all suddenly very overwhelming, all the new and wonderful things around me, appearing in front of my very eyes- it all made me want to run and hide away. I followed my Nanny, who peered over the rim of her glasses at the list that had been attached to my acceptance letter.

"Where are we going first…" I said quietly, slightly nervous as I looked at all the different shop signs that swung above doorways and hung above windows. We stood in front of a shop which appeared to host a variety of animals- from owls to toads to cats to rabbits- called Magical Menagerie. From outside I could hear the ruckus the animals were all making- inside I could only imagine the noise was deafening. It was only a way down from the wizarding bank and stood between what appeared to be a joke shop and the other side stood a sweet shop. The sweet shop definitely appealed to me but we had things to do.

"Let's go to Olivander's first," My Nanny said, turning to me as she tucked the list back into her bag "To get your wand"

"My wand?" I said with an excited gasp

My Nanny nodded with a smile which appeared to be just as excited as my own smile. She took my hand again and lead me away from the pet shop towards a thin and spindly looking shop which stood a few shops down from Magical Menagerie. The windows were paned, thin, and were practically empty unlike the majority of the shops that line Diagon Alley which were filled to the brim with products; in the window of this very tiny shop, sat a solitary purple cushion with a solitary wand placed carefully upon it. The whole shop itself gave me the chills- something about its atmosphere and the way I could barely see the lamps glow in through the dusky windows. A sign with a set of peeling golden letters written on it hung above the dusky window and the crooked door, it read-

_Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C_

I looked at the shop one last time before we walked inside. The shop was as gloomy as it was on the outside, it was filled with long rectangular boxes which were stacked to the ceiling and there was a single spindly chair in the far corner. It appeared that we were not the only people there to purchase a wand today; another family- who also appeared to be muggleborn judging by the clothes and her parent's nervous looks- were being served by a sophisticated old man with white, wild hair. He was just handing a box to the girl when the bell above the door jingled. The group turned to look at us, and I found myself feeling like I had been put on the spot.

"Afternoon Ollivander" my Nanny said as the door shut behind us

"Good afternoon! I will be with you in just a moment…" Exclaimed Ollivander, who grinned eagerly at my Nanny and I "Here you go Miss Granger- try this one"

The Granger girl, picked the wand out of its box and held it her hand. The wand, however, didn't seem to want to be held by the poor girl as it suddenly flew out of hand – across the room into a pile of boxes. The parents of the girl pulled their daughter back suddenly with a gasp on their lips. Ollivander shook his head tutting, as if it were the wands fault. He smiled warmly at the Grangers, telling them he would be back in just one moment, and proceeded to disappear towards the back of the store. We all stood there quietly for a moment before the mother of the Granger girl turned my Nanny and smiled warmly- yet slightly nervously.

"You're first time in Diagon Alley too?" she asked, her voice was stern yet motherly.

My Nanny shook her head and smiled in return, proudly saying "Oh no, not mine at least. It is my Granddaughters, Katlyn's first time here though"

The little girl who stood beside her parents, turned to me with a beautiful smile "This is all very exciting isn't it? I only found out a few weeks ago that I was a Witch! It is all rather fascinating"

I looked at her, shyly smiling back, nodding in agreement. The girl was about my height, if not a little shorter and had brown hair that was much like mine aside from the fact that hers was almost mane line- a frizzy mess atop of her little head. Freckles graced her nose and inquisitive, brown eyes stared at me with pure joy. It was clear that she was also very excited to have learnt that she possessed magically abilities and was eager to learn all that she could- it wasn't the way she looked which told me this, it was the sheer amount of books that were bursting out the shopping bag her mother carried. My Nanny gave me a shove, prodding me to talk to the girl. She knew too well my struggle to make friends.

"So did I" I said with a smile "My Nanny's been telling me all about this place but nothing could've prepared me to what it was really like"

"Are you going to Hogwarts too?" she asked. I had assumed there must've been a few schools for Witches and Wizards in the UK but perhaps not, I didn't know so I nodded anyway. "I can't wait to start the school term- we spent all morning in Flourish and Blotts"

"Flourish and Blotts?" I asked, confused

"The book shop" she said, in a matter of fact tone

"You know-" My Nanny said warmly "If you want, we could all go round together after this. You both look a little lost and I reckon you could use some company"

"Oh! How very kind of you!" Mrs Granger smiled

As she spoke, Ollivander returned from the back of the store. He grinned widely, holding another box for the bushy haired girl. She took it from him when she was offered it, as she opened the box she was told that the wand inside the box was 10 ¾ inches, made of Vine wood and had a Dragon Heartstring core. I saw a glint of determination on her lips as she lifted the wand from the box- sure enough purple sparks shot from the end, which received a round of applause from Ollivander and a delayed one from her parents- once they realized that this was the right wand, they began praising their daughter- who I learnt was called Hermione. Mrs Granger handed the man a handful of the golden coins – which my Nanny had told me were called Galleons – before he turned his attention to me.

He grinned "Hello there, now- let me guess…first wand?"

I nodded to which he smiled even more widely. He seemed to enjoy this- new people who wanted first wands. From his pocket he drew a tape measure, he began by measuring me from shoulder to finger tip, wrist to elbow and then he let go of it and hurried off into the maze of boxes. It took me a moment to realize that the tape measure, which was now measuring my height, was flittering around on its own. I found myself giggling, as the silver tape measured ticked under my nose as it measure the distance between my nostrils. The moment Ollivander snapped his fingers, the silver tape fell into a heap at my feet. I stared in sheer amusement and awe at the thing that lay around my feet.

Ollivander hurried back and placed a large pile of boxes on the floor beside him "Now… since your Grandmother was a particularly hard person to find a wand for I have found a fair few that I think will suit you" he said this as grinning at my Grandmother "Am I right in saying yours is beech with unicorn tale core, hm, 9inches and fairly sturdy?"

My Nanny nodded as I gave Ollivander an odd look "What do you mean by, suit me?"

"Ah!" Ollivanders eyes lit up, much like Hermione's did when she spoke of her time in Diagon alley today "Well, you see, wands are fickle things…they have a mind of their own- you could say- and they do not like to work for all wizards. Every wand of mine is different, as is every wizard, however a wizard cannot choose his wand- it is the wand who makes that choice."

"So…" I said, frowning at the pile of boxes "One of those will pick me?"

Ollivander nodded, reaching for the first box in the pile "This one is a particularly fresh one of mine- Oak wood with a Phoenix feather core at 9 ½ inches…"

I took the box from him and opened it. Inside lay a fairly tiny wand, which was very neat and straight. Nerves and excitement bubbled inside me again, the same emotions that had made me want to run and hide away. This time was no exception as I reached into the box and took the wand from its little bed of white fabric. For a moment, the wand did nothing, but then suddenly it emitted a loud crackling sound- followed by a large puff of green smoke. Ollivander, leapt back in fear almost- as if he had one too many times been set on fire by rogue wands- before he sighed. He mumbled no to himself repeatedly as he rummaged through the pile of boxes beside him.

Eventually he grabbed a second one and handed the box to me "This one is-"

Before he could finish my sentence I had taken the wand from its casing and found myself dropping it immediately as it seemingly burnt my hand. The wand was hot to the touch- for me at least- and judging by Ollivander's grimace, that meant that the wand was not for me. After a moment dwelling over the pile, he disappeared for a moment before returning with another box; his eyes narrowed scrutinizingly at me, wondering whether this choice will be right for me. Before handing it to me he looked at the box and grinned.

"This one you will find particularly springy- good for transfiguration. Has a core of Dragon Heartstring and Cypress wood"

He then handed me the box. Before I could even open it, I felt a tingling in my fingers. I inhaled deeply as I pulled the lid off the thin box. Inside lay a wand, which was made out of a rich, dark, yet warm colour of Cypress wood; the end of the wand was delicately ornate, swirling round slightly on the handle. I paused for a moment before I took it up in my right hand- sure enough the wand spurted a flurry of silver streams of stars which danced around the room, causing me and Hermione to giggle slightly in girlish excitement. Ollivander grinned again, clapping his hands together.

"Splendid! Splendid!" he said

I held the wand tightly in my hand, not wanting to let go. I looked over my shoulder at my Nanny who smiled proudly at me. I could see a hint of tears in her eyes and I began to wonder if she wished my Mum had been a witch like me; maybe she wished she hadn't married a muggle all those years ago. I smiled at her happily- as if to tell her that it was alright. I turned back to my wand and suddenly I felt a new feeling surge through me- it was an odd warmth, one that I had never felt before. Even after my wand had been packed away, after we had left Diagon Alley and I had said goodbye to my new friend Hermione, even while I lay in bed- I felt it tingling in my fingertips. In the darkness, I smiled to myself; the feeling was good and I didn't want it to end.


	4. Departure

Before I knew it, the remainder of summer had flown by and soon it was August 31st- the day before I was set to go to Kings Cross Station. I'd packed all my things, but I couldn't help but begin to feel homesick already- the thought of being away from home until Christmas scared me a little. Though I knew Hermione- I had only spoke to her once- and I didn't know one thing about the Wizarding world, other than what I seen in Diagon Alley and what my Nanny had told me; but she hadn't divulged into it too much because my Mum didn't like all this magic talk in the house. I was nervous to say the least, and I found myself staring at my suitcase which sat by my bedroom door- ready to be packed into the car the following morning.

I stared at the case for a long time, seriously considering getting up and unpacking it of its things and refusing to go. Then I felt the same tingling in my finger tips and I felt calm again- I itched to unpack my wand from its box and perhaps try something but then I remember what McGonagall told me when she came to deliver me my letter- that we weren't allowed to do magic outside of school until we were 17- and it would also mean digging into the bottom of my suitcase. Sighing, I rolled onto my back and stared up at the glow in the dark planets and stars that were stuck onto my ceiling. They were really the only light in my room, other than the thin slither that came from the landing outside but soon I heard the light switch off and the Saturn's and stars glowed eerily in the darkness.

I must have fallen asleep while staring at them because the next thing I knew was that my Dad was telling me it was time to get up. Looking to the alarm clock that sat on my bedside table, I could see the big hand was pointing to the 5 and the little hand was pointing to the 7. I groaned, pulling the covers over my head as my Dad turned my light on so that I'd get up quicker. He joked we would be late- even though it was about an hour's drive to London Kings Cross- before he left to go make me some scrambled eggs for breakfast. I lay under my warm covers for a moment, before I tossed the duvet to the end of my bed and I hopped out of bed. Walking to the window, I saw that it was a pretty ordinary September morning- mist hung in the air and I could barely see the other houses that line my street.

I was beginning to wander what the view from my window would look like at Hogwarts when I heard a knock on my door. Turning, I saw my Nanny holding a box. She smiled "Excited for the big day?"

I nodded as she gestured for me to sit on the edge of my bed with her. I frowned at the box as I responded to her question "A little nervous…"

"Don't worry love, it'll be okay" My Nanny said, smiling warmly. The box in her hands moved slightly, reminding my Nanny of why she was really in my room "Oh! Yes, this is for you. I got it as a present for you-"

She began to say how she hoped I would like it, and that she bought it especially for me and not to tell my parents because they said not to get it but she did anyway, as she handed it to me. The moment it was in my hands, the lid of the box moved slightly and a pair of golden eyes stared out at me from within the darkness. I gasped, knowing exactly what it was before I'd peeled the flaps of the lid back. Inside the box, sat a majestic cat with long ginger fur; I could have sworn that he had spotted fur. The cat blinked at me and began to purr as I scratched it carefully behind one of his very large ears.

"A Cat!" I said, quietly yet excitedly as I pulled the ginger out of his little box

"Actually, he is half Kneazle" My Nanny informed me, pointing to his ears "See how he looks almost like a lion? Kneazles are good pets for Wizards and Witches but I think your parents wouldn't've appreciated a little lion like creature running round the house"

I stopped petting my new friend to give my Nanny a big hug "Thank you!"

She smiled and hugged me tightly back. I inhaled her scent – she smelt like Lavender oil and cigarette smoke- and made sure I would remember it. I turned back to my cat as my Nanny explained that Kneazle-cat hybrids can be quite temperamental but are very clever creatures and can solve problems all by themselves. We paused, ready to shove him back in the box, when we heard movement from downstairs but it was just my Dad calling me to breakfast. Standing, I put him in his box as my Nanny asked me if I had a name for him yet. I shrugged and said that I hadn't thought of one yet.

After breakfast, my Dad, my Mum, My Nanny and I all piled into the car- my new cat friend had been secretly stowed in a box that said "Linen" so that my parents didn't spend an hour arguing rather than driving down to London. I sat in the back, with the box on my lap, as I watched the world speed by. From Countryside, we soon found ourselves turning off the motorway and into the city as we reached the outermost stretches of London. After a good half an hour stuck in traffic as we tried to get into the centre of London, we eventually pulled up to Kings Cross Station and found some parking. My Mum and Dad walked behind me and Nanny, nervous about letting me go off to some school in the Scottish Highlands.

What I was unsure of was how to get onto Platform 9 ¾ itself. Professor McGonagall had not really explained that because she knew my Nanny would be able to show me these things. As far as I was aware, all the platforms at Kings Cross Station were full numbers, there was no halves or quarters or three-quarters. This became very apparent in the first minute of being at the station and I was tempted to pull on my Nanny's coat and ask her where we were going or if we were in the right place but I trusted her. My parents didn't seem to trust her as much, as they began to whisper questions to one another as we made our way to Platforms 9 and 10.

There was no sign between the two which caused more muttering between the two. My Mum was just about to ask my Nanny where the hell she was taking us when suddenly we heard a "Hoot!". Turning, we saw a rather plump boy with short black hair and square glasses walking towards us with his parents and little brothers. On his trolley, was a barn owl, who seemed very displeased that he was locked up in a cage. Other people were staring at the boy and his mother seemed very annoyed at the creature and suggested that the boy not take it with him but the boy just rolled his eyes. When he saw me with my Nanny and parents, he grinned at me as he passed. His mother complained about them letting anyone into Hogwarts these days to which the boy's father said for her to calm down.

We all watched as the family of 5 glanced around, before making a running sprint at the pillar between platforms 9 and 10. I gasped in disbelief as I saw them all disappear, one by one into the brick wall. My parents stared too, but they were the only ones around who seemed to notice that 5 people had just magically run through a wall. My Nanny smiled excitedly, placing her hand on my shoulder.

"Time to go," she said.

I nodded, knowing that my Mum and Dad wouldn't be able to come with me onto the platform. I turned to them and hugged them both tightly "Bye….."

"We'll see you at Christmas" my Dad said as he gave me a reassuring squeeze

My mum muttered I love you as she gave me a hug, before I turned back to my Nanny. She smiled "I will be right behind you"

I nodded and turned to the pillar that stood between 9 and 10. I took in a deep breath, glancing round to see if any Muggles had noticed me but they were all oblivious- too busy in getting to places they needed to be. Once the coast was clear, I took off into a running sprint at the brick wall. As I gained more speed, I began to doubt that running full pelt at a wall would somehow transport me to a mysterious platform and that instead I would just crash into the wall and end up in a heap on the floor. Even if I had wanted to stop, the trolley I was pushing me was heavy and I wouldn't be able to stop it in time without the trolley tripping over. I closed my eyes tight as the trolley touched the pillar. There was a whooshing sound- a moment of silence- before I began to hear the hustle and bustle of people and feel the sun against my skin.

Opening my eyes, I was shocked to see that I was no longer stood at Platform 9 and 10 at Kings Cross Station. I was now on a Platform, somewhere in the country, surrounded by fields and hedgerows. In front of me, stood a large red steam engine- puffing smoke out its chimney as it prepared to depart; a hoard of parents and their children lingered around the platform. Some were tearful, others looked excited for their children while their children sheepishly said their goodbyes and board the train. A conductor was shouting that the train would leave in 10 minutes for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

I turned as I heard my Nanny arrive on the platform- she smiled at me as we walked down the platform to have my things loaded onto the train by a worker. I couldn't help but notice that she looked sad, but happy at the same time; I wondered if she was just proud that I had been accepted into Hogwarts. Once my things were loaded onto the train- and I had said goodbye to my cat- we both began to meander back down the platform at a leisurely pace. I held onto her hand tightly, wishing that she could come with me and see the world she'd grown up in again. We stopped, around halfway down the platform, and turned to one another.

Kneeling down, my Nanny looked at me tearfully before she threw her arms tightly around me "I am so proud of you"

I was speechless, so just kept quiet and nodded as I hugged her tightly back. I could feel tears forming in my own eyes but I blinked them away.

Pulling out of the hug, my Nanny pushed a strand of hair behind my ear and smiled "Good luck….remember, I will send an owl every fortnight so you can keep in touch"

I nodded "Okay…but you don't have an owl?"

My Nanny winked at me before patting me on the back, making sure my backpack was secured, pushing me gently towards the train "Go on you, the train will leave without you otherwise"

I smiled and hopped onto the train. Other children mingled in the corridor but very few had occupied the compartments that lined the corridor; many waited by the doors so that they could wave goodbye to their families as the train departed. I heard the conductor announce the train was leaving and so I hurried down the corridor to one of the empty compartments. I tossed my backpack on the seat before running to the window just as the train began to move. Pressing my face against it, I scanned the crowd for my Nanny. I saw a familiar hand waving amongst the sea of people and so began to furiously wave back until the platform was out of sight.

Taking a seat by the window, I watched as the countryside sped on by as the train began to gain speed. I couldn't quite believe that I was on my way to Hogwarts.


End file.
